Fire alarm



Oct. 23, 1928.

J. E. IRBY FIRE ALARM Original Filed July 20 U R 0 I 6 9 i 7 E n q M m mr W v H y 7 H w H C A 6 a IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'"! fi n w J l W m Mr////////// m Y h I R u fi 9 W VI/III/l/II'lI/l/l/Il" Patented Oct. 23,1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN E. IRBY, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

FIRE ALARM.

Application filed July 20, 1925, Serial No. 44,714. Renewed April 28,1928.

The present invention relates to improvements in fire alarms andsignaling systems for use in hotels, apartments and similar dwellingplaces having telephonic oflice connections and alarm devices in theseveral rooms or apartments of the building. A resiliently supportedcord or cable is used in the alarm system which has fusible portions orinflammable portions located at various points and is adapted to besevered by contact from flame or by excessive heat.

Thus a tire originating in any room of a hotel equipped with the systemand coming in contact with the cord or cable will sever the cable andthe action of the resilient support or supports for the cable willresult in actuating an electric signal as a bell or gong in the rooms,and simultaneously release the lever of a telephone and operate thephone. Means are provided in connection with a fire bell or gong in thehotel otfice whereby the sound of the bell is amplified and directed tothe open telephone for transmitting the fire signal. In this manner thecentral telephone station or the telephone operator is automaticallyacquainted with the dangerous condition existing and the operator thusnotified may turn in the regular city alarm for fire, withoutunnecessary loss of valuable time.

The cable or cord used is specially constructed with spaced fuses orinflammable portions alternating with non-inflammable portions in orderthat the burning of the cord may with safety be confined to a shortstretch or length and thus eliminate the dam er of s reading the fire bythe burning cor or cab e, when the latter is severed or separated.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In theaccompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined andarranged in accordance with the best mode I have thus far devised forthe practical application of the principles of my invention Figure 1 isa diagrammatic" floor plan of a hotel or apartment house including anotlice room equipped with the fire alarm system of my'invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view in elevation illustrating the oificearrangement of telephone, cable, fire bell and sound amplifier.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing one of the rooip fire signals and cableconnection therewit Figure 4 is an edge view of the fire hell or signalof Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of the cord orcable.

In order that the general arrangement of related parts may be readilyunderstood I have shown a floor plan in Figure 1 with rooms designatedas R, the corridor or hall as C and the office as O.

In carrying out my invention each of the rooms is equipped with anelectrically operated signal hell or fire bell of standard type having ausual gong 1, magnets 2, tappet 3 and battery connections 4, the devicepre Fer-ably being supported on a wall of the room. In connection witheach electric hell I utilize a pivoted switch lever 5 that is normallyin position with the switch open and the magnets de-energized. In caseof fire all the levers 5 are swung on their pivots to close the switchand the bells 1 are sounded to give the fire signal.

The switch levers 5 are swung on their pivots 5' for contact with eitherstationary pivot point 5 or 6 to close the bell circuits when the cordor cable 6 is severed. This cable at its two ends is provided with aspring as 7"and 8 that are suitably anchored, the spring 7 being locatedin the otfice 0 and the spring 8 being located in the remotest room towhich the cord or cable is extended. The cable passes through suitableopenings and is properly guided through the walls or partitions of thebuilding and guide or antifriction pulleys 9 are utilized at properplaces for supporting and guiding the cable which is held taut by thetwo end springs 7 an 8.

For each lever 5 of the electric bells a rin 10 is interposed in thecable through whic ring the lever normally projects, and it will be seenin Figure 3 that a pull on the cable or cord will swing the lever 5 toclose the electric bell switch and energize the alarm.

In Figure 2 it will be apparent that if the cord is severed the spring 7will pull on the cord 6 and this pull will be instrumental in operatinga telephone in the office 0. For this purpose a branch cord 11 isattached to the cord 6 and of proper length to lift the phone receiver12 and the phone lever 13 of the phone 14:. The phone is thus adapted tobe opened and the sound of a bell 15 is transmitted therethrough to thecentral station or to a phone 0 erator. The bell 15 shown in dottedlines igure 2 is located adjacent to the phone 14 and is operated inmanner similar to the bells 1 in the rooms. This ofiice bell 15 isprovided with a horn or sound amplifier 16 properly supported inposition to direct the amplified sound from the bell to the opentelephone instrument. It -will thus be obvious that when the cord issevered the signal bells will be rung in the rooms and office and thesound of'the bell in the office will be transmitted through the phone toa central station or operator.

' The cord 6 as seen in Figure 5 is made up of a central core, as 17 andis provided with fuses or inflammable portions 18 wrapped around thecore. The 17 is of course inflammable in order that it may be severed torender the springs operative for performing their functions, but thefuses 18 which are spaced at suitable intervals along the cable are moreinflammable and burn quickly for the purpose of igniting the core tosever the cable. v However the core 17 is so fashioned or is providedwith means that will prevent the rapid spread of the fiame ered ends ofthe cable.

By tension of the two springs the cable is held normally taut and whenthe cable is along the sevsevered the two springs because of their re- IIn a fire alarm system, a plurality of electric bells and circuit closinlevers for said bells, an inflammable cor having elastic suspendinmeans, and spaced rings carried by said cord and operatively engagingsaid levers, an audible signal and means actuated by the cord foroperating said audible'signal, a telephone, and means actuated by saidcord for closing the microphone circuit of said telephone to transmitsound from the audible signal.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN E. IRBY.

